	Best Practices A practical newsletter for people ending homelessness.

New Tool: The Emergency Rental Assistance Priority Index

As states and localities allocate emergency rental assistance funds to help renters avoid losing their homes, a new tool developed by Urban Institute researchers can help local leaders prioritize the most vulnerable renters.

The index examines neighborhood conditions and demographics, incorporating instability risk factors before the pandemic as well as the pandemic's economic impacts, to estimate the level of need in a census tract.

Local decisionmakers who want to prioritize an equitable COVID-19 response can use this tool to inform a community-based process to target areas where resources for residents and nonprofit organizations are likely to have the greatest impact on reducing housing instability and homelessness.

Use the Index >>>

Upcoming Webinar: How are Providers Coping with COVID-19 and the Recession?

COVID-19 and the current economic crisis are testing homeless services systems in unprecedented ways. To better understand how providers are managing the current crisis, the Alliance and a collection of research partners initiated a series of community surveys and interviews with CoC representatives. Speakers will share findings and foster a conversation about how homeless services systems are responding to the crisis thus far.

Speakers include:

Eric Rice, University of Southern California
Dan Treglia, University of Pennsylvania
Joy Moses, Director, Homelessness Research Institute
Jackie Janosko, Research Associate, Homelessness Research Institute

Wednesday, September 2, at 2:00 PM (ET).

Census 2020: Counting People Experiencing Homelessness

Due to COVID-19, Census efforts to count people experiencing homelessness will take place from September 22-24. The following resources can help your community navigate upcoming Census counts: